Ann Arbor’s Gelman Dioxane Plume to be Remediated in Landmark Agreement

 

Local officials in Ann Arbor announced a proposed settlement after years of fighting in court for better cleanup of the Gelman Dioxane Plume. A more aggressive plan includes thorough monitoring of the plume’s expansion through the city’s groundwater and treating pollution at the source. Gelman Sciences is to blame for the polluted water.

Washtenaw County Board Chairman Jason Morgan said, “This is a monumental moment in our 40-plus-year effort to clean up the Gelman dioxane plume. We finally have a new proposed consent judgment and have made the documents public. This is a big deal.”

Polluter Gelman Sciences would be required to install new groundwater extraction wells to remove dioxane pollution from the environment, as well as more monitoring wells to further investigate the migration of the toxic chemical, with new trigger levels for taking action. They would also be required to install two new remediation techniques to increase removal of dioxane in the ground at the source off of Wagner Road in Ann Arbor.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies dioxane as a carcinogen by all routes of exposure. It can cause kidney, liver, and respiratory system damage. Just a few Parts Per Billion (ppb) in drinking water with long-term exposure poses a one-in-100,000 cancer risk, according to the EPA.

The proposed settlement formalizes the state’s newer standard of 7.2 ppb down from 85 ppb level of dioxane in drinking water.

The dioxane plume was first discovered in the 1980s, originating from Gelman’s filter manufacturing complex, and it has plagued the groundwater ever since. Gelman Sciences has done little to remedy the situation beyond pump-and-treat remediation. The plume has spread for miles, including east into Ann Arbor city limits, causing fears it could poison the city’s primary drinking water supply, Barton Pond, in addition to many wells.

For further reading, the Gelman Proposed Settlement Documents are on the city of Ann Arbor’s website. To protect yourself and your family from dangerous chemicals found in drinking water, contact the experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning today.

Reynolds Water Conditioning was established in 1931 and is Michigan’s oldest water conditioning treatment company. Still owned and operated by the Reynolds family, we take pride in providing the highest quality products at a cost-effective price. If your tap water lacks the quality you deserve, contact us today at www.reynoldswater.com or call 800-572-9575.

Written by the digital marketing staff at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com.

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